As Britain once more falls under the spell of The X Factor, with its pop pap by the bucketload , last night's gig showed that, here at least, there's still room for something unique.
First up was Rodent Emporium, a four-piece alternative punk ban
d, whose first album, Music Without Fear of Reprimand, and a recent US tour has seen them gain some recognition from record labels in Nashville, and rightly so. With no pretensions of being anything other than entertaining, they took the centre of what little stage there was, then promptly left it, deciding to shake and judder into the audience instead.
Thanks to a set packed with fast, short songs, typified by the aggressive Mystery Bum – all guitars and harsh vocals from Stuart Gilmore – their energy levels were always in evidence. By the end of their set the crowd were happy to do a bit of impromptu karaoke as Gilmore passed around the mic for a chorus from Super Adventure Club.
Next on were Glasgow-based Punch and the Apostles, a seven-strong outfit whose repertoire brings new meaning to the word eclectic.
Keyboard, drums, guitars, saxophone, a bit of trumpet and a heavy dose of accordion shouldn't really go together, but it was so extreme that it somehow worked.
Bavarian-inspired medley's segued into fairground ride melodies and punk, songs such as Womb Grave benefiting from an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink style of composition that got the crowd dancing.
Lead singer Paul Napier offered some wild flourishes throughout, all the more impressive in the confined space of Henry's.
While ITV1 may not be the next stop for the Rodents, it might not be long before the masses catch on to Punch and the Apostles who have the original X Factor in spades.
The full article contains 340 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
